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Originally posted by DemonicAngelZero
OldThinker, the world that exists now has an unprecedented level of communication. Idea's can spread at incredible speeds. America was a highly christianized nation... until it became socially acceptable to choose something different. People are free to choose, but was it acceptable to choose not to be a "good Christian" in previous generations? What were the possible repercussions of not being a christian in a christian America? Believe it or not, a lot of people don't feel any attraction to christianity, but do towards some other faith or idea.
Then you have the influx of people of other faiths coming into the country, and they neither want to, nor are required to, let go of their current faith. You can quote whoever you want, but at the end of the day, different is not equivalent to evil or anti-American. That notion, that different is bad, is far to penetrating in the modern world. But isn't it in fact intolerance that is evil? Intolerance leads to hatred, and isn't hatred against the teachings of a loving God? Or... did I miss the part of the bible that says "God Hates Atheists, Gays, Muslims, Blacks, and Science"? I'm not a Christian, so maybe I skipped that page.
[edit on 26-12-2008 by DemonicAngelZero]
Originally posted by C0le
I honestly don't understand the religious types...
.....
EVERY church I've ever been to had its own little select group of elites who frowned upon the lesser church members, and god forbid a bum in rags walk in to learn about god!
[edit on 26-12-2008 by C0le]
Women. In ancient cultures, a wife was the property of her husband. Aristotle said that a woman was somewhere between a free man and a slave. According to the book Reasons for God by Tim Keller (page 249), "It was extremely common in the Greco-Roman world to throw out new female infants to die from exposure, because of the low status of women in society. The church forbade its members to do so. Greco-Roman society saw no value in an unmarried woman, and therefore it was illegal for a widow to go more than two years without remarrying. But Christianity was the first religion to not force widows to marry. They were supported financially and honored within the community so that they were not under great pressure to remarry if they didn't want to. Pagan widows lost all control of their husband's estate when they remarried but the church allowed widows to maintain their husband's estate. Finally, Christians did not believe in cohabitiation. If a Christian man wanted to live with a woman he had to marry her, and this gave women far greater security. Also, the pagan double standard of allowing married men to have extramarital sex and mistresses was forbidden. In all these ways Christian women enjoyed far greater security and equality than did women in the surrounding culture. See Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity." In India, widows were voluntarily or involuntarily burned on their husbands' funeral pyres. Christian missionaries were a major influence in stopping these century-old practices and ideas.
Slavery. While it is true that Christians have owned slaves in history, it is clear that this was a distortion of biblical teaching. (See Misconceptions, item #12.) Early Christianity elevated the roles of those oppressed in society, by for example, accepting women and slaves as full members. Slaves participated equally in worship and the community. It is also true that slavery was ended in great measure by Christian activists. For example, historians credit the British evangelical William Wilberforce as the primary force behind the ending of the international slave trade (which happened prior to the American Civil War). Two-thirds of the members of the American abolition society in 1835 were Christian ministers.
Originally posted by OldThinker
reply to post by ofhumandescent
Also the muslims, hindu's and other religions...come here...for freedom, both to worship...or as my searching atheists freedom NOT to ...BECAUSE of the wisdom of those founding Christians...
Originally posted by Malynn
The founding father's were Deists. They believed in God but also believed that he had absolutely no involvement in our lives. I'd be interested in how many times you find reference to Jesus in the Charters of Freedom.
And I'm all for the de-christianization of America. BRING IT ON. No cult has done more damage to our nation...hell to the WORLD than Christians.
Originally posted by OldThinker
“There never has been a period of history, in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundation.”
Between 753 B.C. and A.D. 1453, the legal principles, procedures, and institutions of Roman law dominated Western, and parts of Eastern, civilization. The legal systems of western Europe, with the exception of Great Britain, are based on Roman law and are called civil-law systems. Even the common-law tradition found in the English-speaking world has been influenced by it.
law.jrank.org...
Originally posted by OldThinker
American was a Christian Nation-What happened?
Originally posted by bandaidctrl
All I can say is "only in America" would one dispute the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
-JR
Originally posted by bandaidctrl
Really? What was it before? I'm only 20 so under God has always been apart of the Pledge I've known.
In fact that's the first I've heard of it being changed too >.
American was a Christian Nation-What happened?
Originally posted by Sonya610
Originally posted by bandaidctrl
Really? What was it before? I'm only 20 so under God has always been apart of the Pledge I've known.
In fact that's the first I've heard of it being changed too >.
Yeah they added "under God" during the cold war with the Russians (who were officially athiests) as a statement. I think it was in the 1950's.